1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a variable controlled guide for a wireline spooler having independent variable controls to reciprocate a spooler guide horizontally and to raise and lower the spooler guide vertically.
2. Prior Art
On drilling and other rigs, masts are provided with hoisting mechanisms which include a crown block at the top of the mast and a traveling block suspended from the crown block by wire rope commonly referred to as wireline. It is common for the traveling block to be separated from the mast for transport to the next well. For this purpose the re-usable wireline is removed from the hoisting system and is stored on a spool for transport. The wireline spool may be mechanically driven so that it rotates about an axis. The rotation about the axis will wind or unwind the wireline on the spool. The rotation may be accomplished by an electric gear motor or other mechanical device. The motor may include various gearing and clutch mechanisms.
Various devices and systems have been proposed in the past to wind cables, such as wirelines and electric lines, onto a reel, drum or spool having a central cylinder with an axis and a pair of side flanges. In addition to winding mechanisms, various devices have been proposed to guide the cable onto the reel. In various prior art systems, winding drive mechanisms rotate both the reel and the guide device.
It has been suggested that unevenly spooled cable becomes worn more readily than evenly spooled cable. A guide can reduce gaps left between adjacent wraps and reduce accumulation of wraps at the side flanges of the reel or drum.
Other proposals in the past include Wilkinson (U.S. Pat. No. 2,990,136) which discloses a spooling guide device for winding cable in a drum. The carriage 16 is arranged to slide freely along horizontal guide tabs 10 controlled by fluid pressure. Additional movement of the spooling device may be accomplished by swinging the arms 12 about an axis of pivot bolts 14.
Wilson (U.S. Pat. No. 2,660,382) discloses a cable winding device utilizing a guide head 20 traveling on rods back and forth from end to end on the drum and arms 11 to allow backward and forward movement of a carriage C which moves the rods.
Thorson et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 2,946,561) discloses a rotatable drum of draw works 24 having a sheave 38 swivelly mounted on the draw works 24. The sheave moves on carriage 42 which moves on guides 41.
There remains a need for a guide for a wireline spooler which includes a mechanism which may be variably controlled and independently operated to reciprocate the spooler guide horizontally parallel to the spooler.
Additionally, there remains a need to provide a guide for a wireline spooler having an independent mechanism which is variably controllable to raise or lower the spooler guide in a direction vertical to the horizontal movement in order to engage or disengage the spooler guide from the wireline.